National Park Service Yellowstone Summer U.S. Department of the Interior Inside 2 Superintendent's welcome letter 3 Park regulations, visitor safety 4 Backcountry, boating, fishing information 5 Your safety in bear country 6 Services, schedules 7 Camping information 8 Visitor centers 9 Park highlights, tours, youth programs 10 Walking trails, cycling information, heritage tours 11 How geysers work, online offerings 12 Park partners 14 Passes and fees; Nearby NPS units NPS/AKIN 15 Grand Teton NP 16 Park map, road Park mission: Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and the majority of the world’s geysers and hot springs. construction An outstanding mountain wildland with clean water and air, Yellowstone is home of the grizzly bear and wolf and free-ranging herds of bison and elk. Centuries-old sites and historic buildings that reflect the unique heritage of America’s first national park are also protected. Yellowstone National Park serves as a model and inspiration for national parks throughout the world. Top 10 things to know Do not approach wildlife. You must stay As you enjoy trails, be bear aware. You are ö at least 100 yards (91 m) from bears and ' safer hiking with groups of three or more. In Welcome to Yellowstone. We’re glad you’re here. wolves. A distance of 25 yards (23 m) is required areas of low visibility, make noise to avoid surprise from bison, elk, and other animals. Regardless of encounters. Do not run from a bear under any As you enter the park, please become familiar with distance, if any animal changes its behavior due to circumstance. Carry bear spray and know how to some of the rules and advisories that are important your presence, you are too close. use it safely. to a safe and enjoyable visit. More are described inside and online at Do not feed any wild animals, Control your pet. Pets are not allowed on www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/rules including birds. Consuming human food trails or boardwalks, in the backcountry or is unhealthy and encourages aggressive hydrothermal basins. Where allowed, pets Give wildlife a brake. Unless posted slower, behavior that may require management action. All must be leashed and remain within 100 feet (30.5 m) top speed throughout the park is 45 mph 4 food, trash, coolers, and cooking tools must be kept of a road or parking area. Do not leave a pet unat- (73 kph). To assure yourself enough stopping secure in a bear-proof container unless in imme- tended or tied to an object. Owners must bag and distance if you encounter animals unexpectedly, diate use. dispose of pet waste. please slow down. Stay on designated trails and boardwalks. Cell phone service may be available in the Watch from pullouts. If you see wildlife ñ Ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and developed areas at Canyon, Grant, Lake, % while driving, do not stop or impede the thin, and there is scalding water just below. Visitors Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Tower, safe and free flow of traffic along any portion of the have fallen through and died here. Keep your and the North and West entrances. Check with roadway. Instead, find the next established pullout, children close at hand. your provider for coverage areas. As a courtesy park, and watch from a safe distance. to others, please silence your cellphone while Avoid water hazards. Do not take risks enjoying Yellowstone’s natural features. Wi-Fi is Campfiresare allowed only in designated á while fishing, wading, or crossing streams. , grills in park campgrounds, some picnic available to visitors at the Mammoth Hotel lounge Swimming is unsafe and prohibited in many areas. and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge for a fee. areas and specific backcountry campsites. Ask Park waters can be deceptively cold and swift. All locally about current fire restrictions. Campfires boats and float tubes require permits. must be extinguished before leaving unattended. Official newspaper of Yellowstone National Park Summer 2014 Emergency Dial 911 Information line 307-344-7381 TTY 307-344-2386 Road updates 307-344-2117 = Medical services • Yellowstone is on 911 emergency service, including ambulances. Medical services are available year round at Mammoth Clinic (307-344-7965), except some holidays. Services are also offered at Lake Clinic (307-242-7241) May 23–September 20 and at Old Faithful Clinic (307-545-7325) May 16–October 3. Lodging, dining, and activity reservations Xanterra Parks & Resorts 866-439-7375 (toll free) or 307-344-7311. TTY 307-344-5395 www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com Lost and found • Call 307-344-5387 to report or retrieve The development of new communication technology has changed the way visitors view, share, and experience the park. items lost in lodging facilities. To report or retrieve items lost in other parts of the park, call 307-344-2109. Accessibility • A printed guide for visitors who use Your Yellowstone experience has been wheelchairs is available at all visitor centers. To arrange for an ASL interpreter for NPS ranger-led programs, call more than 140 years in the making 307-344-2251 at least three weeks in advance. You are the reason that Yellowstone National economists shows that total visitor spending in All hazards NOAA weather radio • If you have a Park exists here today. So are your children, the local economies surrounding Yellowstone weather radio receiver, tune to 162.425 MHz (Mammoth and their grandchildren. amounted to more than $400 million in 2012. area) or 162.450 MHz (Lake area) to receive hazardous This spending supported 5,619 jobs in the Since Yellowstone’s founding as the world’s weather alerts. You can also check for updates posted at local area. The national park system as a whole, first national park on March 1, 1872, it has www.crh.noaa.gov/riw/nwr/ which hosted 283 million recreational visits evolved a complex stewardship mission to be in 2012, injected an estimated $26.7 billion both available and conserved for the enjoyment into local economies across the country, and Foreign language translations of all. supported 201,000 jobs nationwide. Clearly, As you explore the park today, try to imagine even through hard times, Americans see what it was like to come here as one of those national parks as valuable, and a good value. earliest visitors, and then also whether your If you have suggestions for how we can further experience will still be similar for those who improve your experience, fill out a comment visit in generations to come. form at a visitor center, make use of contact Many of the people who work and volunteer information published here or on the park here enjoy sharing it with visitors since it allows website at www.nps.gov/yell them to see it fresh through your eyes. Please, Have a safe visit and come back soon. seek us out – • Step inside a visitor center and explore the exhibits and interpretive offerings. • Carve time into your travel plans to attend a ranger walk, talk, or evening program. Our summer offerings begin Memorial Day weekend, and run through Labor Day weekend. • Encourage your child to complete a Junior Ranger or Young Scientist activity booklet. • • Vítejte • Bienvenue Many rangers believe signing a finished Willkommen • Benvenuti • booklet and leading a child through the • • Bienvenido Junior Ranger pledge is one of the most important and honor-bound duties we have. It turns out you also mean a great deal to the Superintendent Daniel N. Wenk Scan this QR code with a free app for your economies of our gateway communities. A smartphone to link directly to foreign language translations on the park website. recent study by the US Geological Survey http://go.nps.gov/translate-ynp The term QR code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave, Inc. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA TM 2 Keep your distance Keep your food secure Do not feed any wildlife, including small mammals and birds. Consuming human food is unhealthy and encourages aggressive behavior that may require animals to be destroyed. 25 yards All food, trash, and scented items must be kept bear-proof at all times. Tents, truck beds, and picnic tables are not secure. (23 m) In some areas, ravens have learned how to unzip packs and 100 yards scatter the contents. (91 m) None of these items, even if clean and empty, may be left unattended at any time: • Water and beverage • Food, including containers condiments, even if in • Cooking or eating utensils containers Do not approach wildlife • Stoves and grills • Cosmetics and toiletries • Coolers and ice chests • Pet food and bowls • Garbage—bagged or not • Pails, buckets, and wash basins • Federal regulations require you to stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other wild animals, such as bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, Stay on boardwalks moose, and coyotes. • If an animal moves closer to you, you should move to maintain the appropriate distance. • Do not surround, crowd, or disrupt an animal’s path of movement. • If other visitors put you or wildlife in danger, leave the scene and notify a park ranger. 25 yards (23 m) 100 yards (91 m) These activities are prohibited within Yellowstone • Willfully remaining near or approaching • Traveling off-road by vehicle or bicycle. wildlife, including nesting birds, within any • Camping outside of designated areas. distance that disturbs or displaces the animal. • Spotlighting wildlife (viewing with lights). You must stay on boardwalks and official trails around • Traveling off boardwalks or designated trails hydrothermal features. The ground surface is thin, and often in hydrothermal areas. • Imitating elk calls or using buglers.